The Secret Begins
by changingfavorite
Summary: This is based on Paper Mario and the Thousand-year Door. When Mario gets a strange message leading him back to Rogueport, it's up to him and Goombella to begin searching for another ancient secret, while finding something they never expected...


**A New Secret**

Episode 1: The Secret Begins

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><p>It was a peaceful day at Mario's house. Mario and Luigi were talking. Suddenly, a strange glowing yellow star shape appeared in the air. "Hey...do you see that, bro?" said Luigi. Mario nodded. "What is it?" said Luigi. The star circled around Mario, then glowed brightly and showed an image. A familiar town was shown. "Hey! Isn't that that town you saved-Rogueport?" said Luigi. "We haven't been there in a while." Knowing it must be showing this to him for a reason, Mario jumped up and headed for the boat he used to get there.<p>

"Mario? This is unexpected...but okay, go ahead," said the Toad running the boat. So the boat left, and eventually came to Rogueport Harbor. Mario got off and the boat left.

Mario looked around. Rogueport Harbor was different than it had been last time he was there. There were more people, and it was only slightly cleaner than before. The town was the same way, with fewer thieves than before. It must have had something to do with his saving the world a while ago. He was looking at his surroundings so much as he walked through the town that he bumped into someone without seeing them. A moment later he heard a familiar voice: "Mario!" Then he saw who he had bumped into-a Goomba who looked familiar-Goombella! "Mario, you returned! I knew you would!" she said. Mario was surprised to see Goombella too. He hadn't forgotten her, but didn't know he would find her so easily.

Mario told Goombella about the star shape and how it showed him Rogueport was in danger. "Really?" said Goombella, "That's totally weird! I haven't heard anything about danger...or star shapes. I wonder what it means?" Mario thought about it, but he didn't really understand it either. "Well, Mario, maybe we should look around for that star shape. Oh, but first, Professor Frankly and I have been studying things a lot-maybe he could help us out!" Mario agreed. So they went to Prof. Frankly's place.

"Mario! You've returned!" said Prof. Frankly.

"Mario says a star shape came to him and told him Rogueport is in trouble!" said Goombella.

"Oh my, not again!" said Prof. Frankly.

"Well...I haven't seen any signs of trouble, and no one around here seems to know about it," said Goombella.

"Hmmm," said Prof. Frankly, "I must keep studying. With that ancient town underground full of mysteries, I don't know if we're ever safe."

"What? What do you mean?" said Goombella.

"It seems we still haven't solved many mysteries about the ancient town yet," said Prof. Frankly, "People are saying that a strange power has returned there, even though the treasure was found...but no one knows why."

Goombella turned to Mario. "Mario, maybe that has something to do with the star shape you saw!" she said. Mario agreed.

"It certainly could have," said Prof. Frankly, "But why did it choose Mario? Is it because he saved us before?"

"I don't know," said Goombella, "This is getting really weird."

"Anyway, maybe you should search around the Thousand-Year Door for anything suspicious," said Prof. Frankly.

"That's exactly what we'll do," said Goombella. So Mario and she left.

As they came outside, something flashed in the air-a blue light. "Whoa. Did you see that?" said Goombella quietly. Mario nodded. "It looks...it looks like it's leading us somewhere," Goombella said. Both of them followed the blue light. As it led them towards the pipe that led to the ancient town, everyone in Rogueport was staring-amazed at the light. Mario and Goombella were led through the ancient town and to the thousand-year door. The light stopped. Suddenly, there was complete darkness. "Huh? Wh-what's happening?" said Goombella. There was a loud, violent shaking. Mario and Goombella struggled to keep their balance as they tumbled up and down. The light grew longer and thicker, creating a layer of protection around Mario, Goombella, and the Thousand-Year Door. A large shadow appeared on the ceiling, and then as suddenly as it started, the shaking stopped and the light came back.

The blue light went back to normal, and with a strange motion, flew through a hole in the wall. "Whew. I wonder what that was?" said Goombella. Then she noticed the hole in the wall. "Huh? I don't remember seeing this here. Could it be...a secret place?" she said. She ran into the hole, with Mario close behind. When they stopped, they gasped at what they saw. It was a secret place they had never explored! "This is so cool! I never would have imagined there was a secret area!" said Goombella. The two of them looked at the entire place. There were many buildings and a long path in the middle, and even a place that looked like it had once been a garden. Statues of unfamiliar creatures lined the path. Strangely, everything in this place was in perfect condition-like it had been untouched by the Shadow Queen.

"I should come back here with Prof. Frankly and study it. I can't believe how perfect everything looks!" said Goombella, "And these statues-what kind of creatures are these? Maybe they're extinct now." Mario and Goombella could feel a strange power that got stronger as they came closer to the wall. Then, they saw the blue light again. It flew over to something in the distance, and then disappeared. Looking closer, Goombella said, "That's some kind of creature! It's not even a pile of bones, so it's not ancient...but how did it get here?" She ran closer to the creature. "I think it's still alive!" she said, "But it looks injured. We should try to get it back to Rogueport."

Mario came over and looked at the creature too. It was unlike any creature he had ever seen. It was wolf-like with dark green fur. Its face, chest, paws, insides of its ears, and the tip of its tail were pale yellow. It had blue swirl-like designs on its legs, tail, and back. It had a yellow star shape on each back leg. It also had pale yellow fur on the back of each leg, small dark green wings, and a black nose. It was slightly taller than Mario. It was hard, but Mario and Goombella got the creature back to Rogueport. They took it to the inn so it could rest. Mario and Goombella waited, but the creature did not wake up for a while.

After a few hours, Mario and Goombella woke up to someone saying, "Hey! Wake up! The creature's okay!"

"Huh? What?" said Goombella, "Whoa! We fell asleep? I didn't even notice." The innkeeper pointed to the creature, which was yawning. Then, it opened its eyes. Its left eye was yellow and its right eye was blue. It stood up and stretched, and then it walked up to Mario and Goombella and showed its thanks by bowing its head. "You're welcome-what's your name?" said Goombella. The creature motioned for Mario and Goombella to follow it, and then it led them to the harbor. It was nighttime now.

The creature pointed at itself. "Huh? Sign language?" said Goombella, "Okay. So you're telling us your name." The creature nodded. Then it pointed up. "Um...Sky? Night?" Goombella guessed. The creature shook its head. It pointed at the moon, and then the stars. "...Spacestar? Moonstar?" said Goombella. The creature kept shaking its head. "Hmmm...Lunarstar? Oh, I've got it...Lunastar!" said Goombella. The creature nodded happily. "Phew. I've just passed sign language class," Goombella laughed.

Lunastar smiled. Its blue swirl designs and yellow star designs glowed in the dark. It howled at the moon. Then, it said, "Yes, I am Lunastar, and I am very thankful that you saved me. Even though I wasn't awake, I used that blue light to bring a hero to me."

It lowered its voice to a whisper and said, "I have to tell you something-I found that secret place in the ancient town, but then a strange villain attacked me. I had heard about Mario saving Rogueport before, so I led him straight to me. When I sensed the villain was coming back to attack you, I protected you. And something else is...well...um...Never mind. Maybe I'll tell you later." Then Lunastar ran off into Rogueport.

"Huh?" said Goombella, "What was that all about? I mean, I understand that story, but what was Lunastar about to tell us? Let's go tell Prof. Frankly about this."

So they went to Prof. Frankly and told him about Lunastar and what it had said. "Hmmm..." he said, "I've never heard of such a creature, but I think it must be hiding something."

"Oh yeah, Prof. Frankly, while we were at the Thousand-Year Door...we found a secret room. That's where Lunastar was." said Goombella.

"WHAT? A SECRET ROOM? IN THE ANCIENT TOWN?" Prof. Frankly yelled in shock.

Mario and Goombella stumbled in surprise. "Uh, yeah...I'll have to tell you about it sometime...after you calm down..." Goombella said.

"I really can't believe it!" said Prof. Frankly. "I just can't!"

"Let's get out of here before he goes crazy, Mario," Goombella whispered to Mario. "Uh, goodnight, Prof. Frankly," she said, and then she and Mario went back outside. "I wonder what Lunastar is hiding..." she said as the two of them walked through Rogueport. It looked like the adventure-and the mysteries-were only beginning!

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><p><em>Lunastar is my OC. Hope you liked this story. ^-^<em>


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